Theme · liturgical
Lord's Supper
The roots of the Lord's Supper lie in the Passover meal, where Israel remembers deliverance through a lamb's blood. At the Last Supper, Jesus reinterprets the bread as his body and the cup as his blood of the New Covenant. Paul passes on this tradition and warns against partaking unworthily, for in this meal the church proclaims the Lord's death 'until he comes.' The meal looks backward to the cross, inward in self-examination, outward in corporate unity, and forward to the messianic banquet where Christ will drink the fruit of the vine anew with his people.
Related doctrines
Passages expressing this theme
- 1Cor 5:8 — Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
- 1Cor 6:13 — Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
- 1Cor 10:16 — The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
- 1Cor 10:17 — For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
- 1Cor 11:23 — For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
- 1Cor 11:24 — And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
- 1Cor 11:25 — After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
- 1Cor 11:26 — For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
- Acts 2:42 — And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
- Acts 2:46 — And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
- Acts 10:36 — The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
- Acts 20:7 — And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
- Exod 12:14 — And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
- Luke 22:19 — And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
- Luke 22:20 — Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
- Matt 26:26 — And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
- Matt 26:27 — And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
- Matt 26:28 — For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
- Rom 14:9 — For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
The Church Fathers on Lord's Supper
The gathering serves as a sign of love and communion: yet in practice this does not happen. He calls it the Lord's Supper, referring to the common table as an imitation of that Last Supper which the Lord shared with His disciples. For this reason he also called the meal a supper. So take note, he says, of what you…
The Lord's Supper is the sacrament of the Lord. Everyone participates equally in it, whether they are poor or rich, slaves or lords, rulers or ruled. Common tables must at all costs be truly common so as to imitate the table of the Lord, which is open to all equally.
The Lord's Supper is the faith of the Church, working by love. Martha serveth, whenever a believing soul devotes itself to the worship of the Lord. Lazarus is one of them that sit at table, when those who have been raised from the death of sin, rejoice together with the righteous, who have been ever such, in the…
(Ep. 54. 7.) And as they were eating, whereby it is clearly seen that at their first partaking of the Lord's Body and Blood, the disciples did not partake fasting. But are we therefore to except against the practice of the whole Church, of receiving fasting? It has seemed good to the Holy Ghost, that for the better…
Next, having spoken concerning that Supper, he connects the things present with the things of that time, that even as on that very evening and reclining on that very couch and receiving from Christ Himself this sacrifice, so also now might men be affected; and he saith, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink…
But every Lord's day do ye gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned.